Remember Me
by romionefan4eva
Summary: Long after her glee club glory days, Rachel lives as a stuggling singer. After shortly seeing Finn again, Rachel pours out her feelings to him in song that becomes a hit. Finn is appalled at his new reputation and is angry. Can Rachel mend their hearts?
1. Chapter 1

_If you could go back and tell someone everything you ever wanted to say, everything you ever felt, everything you were sorry for, would you do it? And if you did, how would you? In person? In a letter? In song? Did you expect a reaction? Did you hope for some positive feedback? Did you expect him to run into your arms and confess everything he's been feeling, and how he's never truly gotten over you? Oh, sorry, I'm ranting again, and you don't even know the full story._

_I guess you could say it all started in sophomore year. I mean, I knew Finn Hudson before, at least, I knew the name, but had never really talked to him. He was cute, but I didn't even bother because he was unattainable. What's the point in liking the high-school star quarterback when you're a total nobody? But then, Finn joined glee club, and something changed. We now shared a common interest, something to bring us together. Now that we shared this bond, Finn went from cute to hot. He went from unattainable to...well, still unattainable. That's right, I forgot to mention he had a girfriend. Quinn Frabray. Head cheerleader, Quinn Frabray. At first, it seemed like a longshot, stealing Finn from Quinn. She was much prettier and popular, she already had Finn, and they seemed relatively happy. Also, I'll admit, at first I came on a little strong and scared Finn. But after many glee practices and special sessions, I began to soften him to me, and he became comfortable around me. Pretty soon, the chemistry between us was obvious, but there was one problem: Quinn. It seemed like an easy solution, he could dump Quinn and come to me, but no, this is high school, things are never that easy. Quinn was pregnant, and Finn was the father. Here's the sad part; although I knew this, I kept chasing after him, although it was a lost cause. Finn loved Quinn, and I shouldn't try to come between it. But someone else already had. Noah Puckerman. Puck was known for being a rebel and not having morals, but cheat with your best friend's girlfriend? That was low, even for him. As it turned out, Puck was the father of the baby, not Finn. Yes, once I acquired that information I may have slipped it to Finn for my own personal gain, but he needed to know. Finn beat up Puck, Quinn was crying, Finn dumped Quinn, Finn hated Quinn, Finn hated Puck, Quinn hated Puck, Puck felt guilty, Quinn hated herself, Finn felt stupid, I felt guilty, it was absolutely horrible. But, even after all that, Finn managed to find love again, ME. We had a short thing before he broke it off, then I started dating Jesse St. James and the love triangle repeated itself. Then Jesse dumped me and I was heartbroken. Tensions were finally gone once Quinn had her baby, Puck loved Quinn, Quinn secretly loved Puck, all was well. As for Finn and I? Well, I loved him, he loved me back, and neither of us were afraid to admit it._

_It's the greatest feeling in your life, loving someone who loves you back, and that's how I felt every day with Finn. Someone you could always trust, someone who would love you no matter what. But then...it happened. Well, techincally it happened a while ago, but I didn't know for months. Finn lied. He wasn't a virgin. He had sex. With SANTANA. I was angry, furious! I had to do something. I made out with Puck. But before we went to far, he left. He didn't want to hurt Finn again. I guess he really does have morals. But anyway, Finn and I patched everything up, and agreed no more secrets. So, I told him about the Puck thing, thinking it was no big deal. I thought wrong. I had cheated on him. I was never supposed to hurt him like this, because I loved him in a way that Quinn never did. But I failed at that. We fought, we broke up, I cried, and that was that. It was over. Time went on...slowly. In the beginning, each day was a struggle. I felt that I could love no one else, and he would never forgive me. Dramatic, I know, but did you really expect anything less from Rachel Berry? Like in all relationships, life moves on. It was obvious Finn and I still had feelings for each other, but they were hidden deep inside. The magic we once shared had been replaced with awkward tension. Finn had his fair share of girlfriends after me, each relationship shorter than the last, never living up to the standards of the feelings he and I once shared. I did some moving on myself, and by the end of junior year was romantically involved with Noah Puckerman. It wasn't like the fling we had in sophomore year, this was real. We stayed together all through Senior year. I loved him, he loved me, but when it came time to go our separates ways, me going to an elite performing arts school and Puck to the military, it seemed we didn't love each other enough to have a long-distance relationship._

_I guess that's all you need to know...for now. High School is long behind me, and most of the people from it barely slip my mind. But even years after the relationship, me now being 25, the name Finn Hudson keeps coming up. But why?_

"I'm sorry, Miss Berry, it's just not what we're looking for." The Record Dealer said seriously.

"But, Mr. Brynes, I've improved it so much!" Rachel begged.

"Listen, Rachel, here's your problem. Your songs have to much emotion. Nobody cares for a good ballad these days."

"So that's why I changed it!" She said.

"Yes, and now it has too _little _emotion." Mr. Brynes told her frankly.

"But...then...I'll fix it again! There has to be something I can do!" She pleaded.

"I'm sorry, Rachel. Maybe you're not cut out for this city. Maybe you were just a big fish in a small pond. Or maybe you just haven't had you're breakout moment yet. Don't worry, you'll find it." Mr. Brynes said, handing back her demo.

"Keep it." Rachel said, and stormed out.

Rachel was sick of this. It was the same thing every time. She recorded a song, and got rejected. Big fish in a small pond...not cut out for Los Angeles...who did Mr. Brynes think he was? It wouldn't be a bad thing to say if she wasn't destined to be a star.

It was a pathetic confession, to say that this had happened before, at many different record labels. It was pathetic to admit that Rachel now had a routine for it. After every rejection, Rachel would go home to her apartment, order some Chinese food, and cry while she watched videos of her old glee club. It sounded stupid, but watching that really did make her feel special. When she had been the star, the leader. What went wrong?

Rachel opened the door, dropped off her coat and bag, and went to phone. Sadly, she had the Chinese restuarant's number by heart now. She noticed the phone light was blinking, meaning she had a voicemail.

_"Hey, Rachel, it's Puck, I mean, it's Noah." _Puck's familiar voice came from the phone, surprising Rachel. _"Listen, I know this is last minute, and I know it's crazy, but I'm coming back to Lima tommorrow, I'm gonna be on leave for a little bit, and maybe...I dunno, you wanna come by and meet me there. I know we haven't seen each other in...years...but, it could be fun, ya know?"_

Rachel replayed the voicemail two more times. Puck hadn't called in years...at first they kept in contact, with a letter or phone call every now and then, but it just died out. And now, out of the blue, he wanted her to fly back in to Lima, Ohio? It seemed pretty riducolous. But yet...she hadn't been back to Lima in years, ever since she moved out. She hadn't ever visited her dads in Lima, they always came to her, and it'd be nice to be back at her old home for once. Maybe she could visit her mother, she hadn't seen her in years, or maybe even Mr. Schuester, he had been quite a role model to her. What if she saw...Finn? Lima _was _a small town, was it not? But, no, Finn moved out of Lima, Rachel was almost sure. He moved to Chicago, right? But how could she be certain, she hadn't talked to Finn in years...She supposed there was only one way to find out, as she booked her ticket to Lima...


	2. Chapter 2

As Rachel hauled her suitcase through the airport in Ohio, she realized this trip was more trouble than it was worth. It was foolish, really, to fly in to meet a man she hadn't seen in years; she thought bitterly as she saw a happy couple run to each other from opposite ends of the airport. That was, she was feeling bitter until she saw her dads waving to her from the front lobby.

"Dad! Dad!" Rachel squealed, running over and hugging them both. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

"Well, did you really think we'd let you take a taxi?" Her dad, Joshua, said.

"I guess not." Rachel laughed, letting him take her suitcase.

"We were ever so suprised when we heard you'd be coming into town, Rachel." Her other dad, Brent, noted once they were in the car. "You don't visit often."

"I know." Rachel said. "That's why I'm excited to be back."

"What gave you the urge to randomly visit, Rach?" Joshua said.

"Too be honest, Noah Puckerman called. He's on leave from the military and wanted to see me." Rachel admitted.

"Puck?" Brent said excitedly.

"Yes, Dad." Rachel sighed. "But we're just friends, it was quite random actually."

"I like him." Brent grinned.

"We know." Joshua and Rachel said dulcently.

"I liked Finn." Joshua quipped.

Rachel blushed slightly. "Dad, that's been over for years..."

"Yes, but he's still been my favorite." Joshua said. "Besides Finn, Puck, and Jesse, you've never brought a boy home for us to meet."

"That's because besides Finn, Puck, and Jesse, none of the guys were worth meeting! But I'll say Jesse wasn't really worth meeting either..."

"But really, Rachel, you have to get a move on in the dating game. You're telling us that over seven years you haven't found one boy worth introducing to us?" Brent said.

"Well now that I live in L.A., I have to be very serious about the boy if I want you to meet him, because that's a long trip." Rachel pointed out.

"Fine." Joshua huffed. "But you better get a move on then. We want grandkids."

"Dad, I'm only twenty-five!" Rachel reminded him, and they all laughed.

Puck sat at the table of Breadstix, drumming his fingers against it. 7:02. Two minutes late. And he had been five minutes early. So he had been waiting for seven minutes. God, that sounded pathetic. And eagar. Pathetic. Eagar. Two words that weren't supposed to be in Noah Puckerman's vocabulary.

"Noah?" Rachel said softly, taking off her scarf.

"Rachel!" He grinned, getting up to hug her.

"My God, it's been so long!" She laughed, hugging him again.

"So, how've you been?" Puck said awkwardly once they sat down. "How's L.A.?"

Rachel sighed. "It's not...what I expected. I'm not as big as a star as I thought I'd be right now. I'm actually not a star at all."

Puck laughed easily. "Well, those things happen sometimes. That's Hollywood for ya."

Rachel glared for a moment. Puck was acting as if he understood Hollywood. As if it was a joke. As if being a star was a side project. But, she decided not to hold it against him. She was not the type of person who had enough friends to hold grudges.

"So, how's the army?" She said.

"Pretty badass, not gonna lie to you." Puck laughed, and Rachel joined in, but once they stopped their was a silence.

"Look..." Rachel sighed, "I know we're both wondering the same thing, so I'm just going to say it now. Why'd you ask me to fly into Lima and meet you?"

"You know...I asked myself the same question. Why did I do it? Why did I suddenly want you here with me. I'll tell you why. It's because every time I come back home, it's the same pattern. Come home. Spend some time with my mom and sister. Go to bars. Meet girls. Get drunk. Bring them home. The rest goes without saying. Then I realized, why I am wasting my time at home with random strangers? I could be having an even more fun time with someone I cared about. I dawned on me I hadn't had a real girlfriend since you. That's how pathetic I am, picking up random girls on the street. So, this time, I wanted a vaction with fun, love, and meaning. So I decided to call you up. Even though we're not together, we can still have fun, and we still care for each other, right?" Puck said.

Rachel took his hand and squeezed it. "Of course."

A few hours later, Puck was pulling Rachel by the hand into his bedroom, Rachel giggling uncontrollably. They were not drunk, but possibly a little tipsy. Once Puck had shut the door, they began making out. It was just as Rachel had remembered it, although Puck's muscles were even bigger, if possible, she noticed as her hand clung to his shoulders.

"Stop." Puck said after a few minutes, and Rachel looked up at him. "I'm sorry, but this is exactly what I didn't want to happen. A little making out is good, but we can't go too far. I want this leave to mean something. And you, Rachel, I know you're still a virgin."

"What?" Rachel lied.

"Don't try to hid it. I know you won't loose it until you're married. And I'm not taking it from you." He said seriously, and kissed her again. "Come on, I'll drive you home." He said, taking her hand. And with that, Rachel was back at her house, but with the prospect of seeing Puck tomorrow...


	3. Chapter 3

"You wanna pop in another movie?" Puck suggested.

"No." Rachel groaned, resting her head against his chest. "I'm too tired."

"Good. Because that was awful." He scoffed.

"The Notebook is a timeless classic!" Rachel retorted.

"Whatever you say." Puck said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Noah?" Rachel said after a minute of silence.

"Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

"Sitting on my bed." He replied simply.

"No, I mean, what are we _doing_? We've hung out the past four days, we laugh, we hug, we snuggle, we kiss...but we're not a couple. And...I don't think we plan on being one, correct?" Rachel asked.

"I think we're just lonley, Rach." He said confidently. "Because of the army, I haven't seriously been with a girl since you. And you haven't been seriously with a guy because...well, you have no excuse, but yeah. And we're not a couple, although we may be acting like one these past few days, but that's fine with me. For once, I'm spending my leave with someone I actually like, and I love it, whether we're together or not."

"But you have no plans of us getting back together, right?" Rachel confirmed.

"Um, no, I mean, if you want to, I guess..." He said uncertainly.

"No, no, I was just making sure you didn't want to." Rachel said quickly.

"Alright, cool." He smiled, and there was silence again.

"Noah, I've been thinking." Rachel said, lifting herself up from against him and sitting on the edge of his bed, the old Rachel Berry maniac gleam in her eyes that she had whenever she thought of a new idea.

"There's a shocker." Puck said easily, putting his arms crossed behind his head and laying agaist the bed.

"I know I mean a lot to you, and you do to me, but still, you're not home a lot, so you have to make the best of your leaves. And I want you to spend your leave with someone you really love." Rachel began.

"But I do love you!" Puck retorted. "Not like that, but..."

"Yes, I know you do, but we're not going to be together and we're not going to get married. I want you to spend your leave with someone you truly love. C'mon, there must be _someone!_" She urged.

"Nope."

"C'mon!" She teased.

"Nope."

"Come O-"

"Quinn Frabray." He said suddenly.

"What?"

"Quinn Frabray." He repeated.

"There's an idea!" Rachel said.

"Even at our best, I'm sorry, Rach, but I never truly loved you the way I loved Quinn. Wow, she was, amazing. When I did it with her, it wasn't meaningless like the rest of the girls I picked up, no, I had wanted her for a long time. And then, for those brief months I had her, and then she was gone...then there was Sam, and Darren, and...she never gave me another chance." Puck said distantly, his mind wandering. "You know who else I never stopped loving?"

"Who?"

"Beth. I only saw her that one day, but from that moment I knew, even if I would never keep her, she was my daughter, and I would love her, always. I never saw her again, but I still think about her often. I also think about if things would've been different...me, Quinn, and Beth, one family..."

"I think you should call her." Rachel said suddenly.

"Who? Quinn? Beth?"

"Both."

"Oh, what a great phone call. Uh, hey Beth, I'm your father. Oh, hey, Quinn, I know we haven't seen each other in seven years, but, I'm still in love you." Puck said sarcastically.

"Well, if you say it like that, it won't work, but, oh, you know what? Why don't you call Quinn up and ask her to go with you and meet Beth! I'll bet she'd love that!" Rachel said excitedly.

"Even If I did, hypothetically, I don't think Shelby would want us barging in like that." Puck reminded her.

"I think she would. I'm her daughter, remember? She didn't get to see me for sixteen years. She'd understand." Rachel said knowingly, and handed him the phone. "Call her." She whispered. "Quinn. And then Shelby."

"Eh..."

"Please."

Puck dialed the number, hesitantly. "Hi, Quinn? Hey, this, is," He cleared is throat, and his voice deepend. Rachel laughed. "This is Puck."

Rachel got up, grabbed her coat, and motioned towards the door. Puck nodded and waved. Rachel gave him a thumbs up and smiled to her self as she closed the door and heard Puck laugh and start talking like they had just seen each other last week.

She considered it a successful day.


End file.
